George Santos files paperwork to officially declare 2024 candidacy – Boston News, Weather, Sports

(CNN) – Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos paperwork submitted On Tuesday, federal authorities officially declared his candidacy for 2024.

The formal declaration does not mean that the embattled congressman must seek re-election. His actions follow a request last month from the Federal Election Commission for declaring his intentions after the Long Island Republican exceeded a fundraising threshold that forced him to submit a statement of candidacy.

When asked by CNN’s Melanie Zanona last week if he would run for office again, Santos replied, “Maybe,” confirming that some of his peers Republicans had urged him not to seek re-election. But he said he is focused on his current job in Congress.

Santos, who has lied extensively about his resume, education and family background, faces federal and local investigations into his finances and a Investigation by the House Ethics Committee whether he may have been involved in any illegal activity in his 2022 campaign.

Tuesday was Santos’ deadline to respond to the request from federal regulators. The newcomer has been repeatedly faced with questions about the accuracy of his campaign’s submissions to the FEC and the identity of its treasurer.

In particular, his candidacy states that he does not intend to spend his personal funds on a re-election bid.

Some of the biggest questions surrounding Santos’ campaign activities centered on the financial windfall that allowed the Republican to report a $705,000 personal loan towards his successful 2022 campaign. In Santos’ previous, failed 2020 bid for Congress, his personal financial disclosure form listed no assets and a salary of $55,000.

He said he made the money through his company The Devolder Organizationbut he listed no Devolder customers financial disclosure He had to submit himself as a candidate last year.

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